When seeking or listening to divine guidance, people call the spiritual force a number of things -- God or The Man Upstairs, to name a few.

Suzan Holland has a shortened version. She just calls it "He."

And it's He, she said, who is primarily responsible for her moving to Vallejo several months ago, and setting off in a completely new direction -- opening a retail store in the downtown to sell Bibles and other Christian items, she said.

That venture called "Fishers of Men Bible Bookstore," opens Saturday for Bible pre-orders at 426 Virginia St. The space is also called "The Gathering" and provides rooms for prayer, classes, Bible study, and a free CD preview room. Both are operated under a nonprofit umbrella.

"I feel like this is my mission field and I've been sent out to do God's work" in Vallejo, she said.

Following two weeks of gathering pre-orders for Bibles and allowing people to drop in and meet Holland, the bookstore will have a grand opening on March 1. On that day, those people who pre-ordered their Bibles can pick them up.

Holland believes she is filling a big need as Vallejo no longer has a Christian bookstore in continuous operation. Her venture will be downtown Vallejo's second bookstore, following the mid-January opening of Koham Press on Marin Street.

As a long-time and devout Christian, Holland always knew she would engage in full-time Christian ministry at some point in her life. Her parents were both Christian missionaries and she lived in Costa Rica as a child while they worked, she said.

Her time for full-time ministry came after she left her nearly 30-year teaching career in public schools, and her two children (twins) both left for college.

In July, Holland said she left her former home in Walnut Creek and came to Vallejo almost by accident. One day, while looking on the Internet for a possible new place to live, she added the word "water," with other criteria, in an online search engine and a spot popped up in Vallejo.

Though she had never been to Vallejo, she decided to check it out, but was still unsure. A little while later she said she was at a conference in Florida when "He told me to go back to Vallejo."

She moved to a home off Wilson Avenue near the water and then said she was led to open a bookstore. She said He, or God, led her to the vacant storefront on Virginia Street previously occupied by a tax service.

With little business knowledge, she said she's been taken, almost by the hand, through each step of the way to open her store and gathering spot.

"Vallejo is on God's heart," she said, adding that she has met and discussed her venture with numerous Vallejo pastors and ministers to gauge their support and enthusiasm.

"This is one more positive move" for the city, she said. "What we're all working for is for Vallejo to rise," she said.

Her first few months in Vallejo, however, have not been easy. During the Christmas holidays, her home was broken into and she was robbed, and then she had a terrifying car accident.

But Holland is anything but deterred.

Neither the Fishers of Men Bible Bookstore, nor The Gathering, are affiliated with any particular church or Christian denomination.

The bookstore features several versions of the Bible -- the King James, the new King James, new American Standard and new International version, among others. Bibles also come in a variety of covers, including ladies' models and plainer versions.

Holland will also have cards, placards, crosses, CDs and other items for sale.

For those who can't afford a new Bible, Holland said her aim is to have gently used Bibles on hand for donation.

The Fishers of Men Bible bookstore is at 426 Virginia St. in downtown Vallejo and is open for Bible pre-orders Saturday through Feb. 28. Hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. A grand-opening is planned for March 1.